Fire-alarm apparatus



Au 2B, 1923. 1,465,425

V. DURBIN FIRE ALARM APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 may Aug. 21, 1923.

V. DURBIN FIRE ALARM APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

Uttiithh stares CABOT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ROXBURY,

MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ALARM Application'filed June 14,

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that l, VERNON Domain, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and 5 Stateol' lilassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Alarm Apparatus; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an im provement in fire alarm apparatus.

Fire alarm apparatus of the type to Which the present invention relates commonly comprise three circuits: amain alarm circuit, a local alarm circuit, anda disarrangement signal circuit. Themain alarm circuit is in connection with the fire department of the city or town; the local alarm circuit is in connection with signal bells inthe building in which the apparatus is placed and the disarrangement signal circuit is in connection with a disarrangement bell usually located in the janitors oiiice. Fire alarm apparatus of this character is usually so constructed that when in case of a fire the main alarm circuit is thrown into operation to notify the fire department, the local alarm circuit and the disarrangement signal circuit are also thrown into operation to give the necessary local warning; but when in the case of a test drill it is not desired to notify the fire department, only the-local alarm circuit and the disarrangement signal circuit are thrown into operation. In both cases the disarrang'ement signal circuit is operated to indicate that the apparatus is not in its normal condition. One object of the invention is to improve upon theconstructio'n and arrangement of the parts of a. fire alarm apparatus of the above described type to the end that greater efliciency in operation may be secured. A further object of the invention is to improve upon the construction and arrangement of those parts of the apparatus which support the circuit operating means in position on the wall of the building in which the apparatus is located, to the end that the work of installing the apparatus may be more speedily and effectively accomplished than has heretofore been possiblc. To the accomplishment of these obiects and such other'objects as are incidental thereto; the present invention consists in the rvriissacnuste'rrs, a CORPORATION or arrnnnrus.

1918. Serial No. ceases.

improved fire alarm apparatus hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a front elevation of the fire alarm apparatus with the door open; Fig. 2 is a detail showing; a front elevation of the lever device connected with the glass panel; Big. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in part 2; Fig. it is a section taken along the line l -4- of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow;- Fig. 5 is a section showing particularly the mounting of the outlet box in a wall and the manner of connecting the cover therewith; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the casing for enclosing the circuit operating means.

The fire alarm apparatus of the present invention comprises in general an outlet bOX 10, a cover 11 having a door 12 hinged thereon, and a casing 13 for enclosing and supporting the means for operating the various circuits. The outlet box" 10 is adapted to be received in a recess 14 of a wall 15 of the building in which the apparatus is installed. The 62311151 13 is supported within the outlet box. and the cover 11 is placed in position with its lower rim 16 against the face 17 of the wall 15 to cover over the other parts and render them inaccessible except to those using the apparatus. The manner of mountingthe outlet box: and of securing the cover 1] and casing 13 thereto forms a feature of the invention, and will be particularly described hereinafter.

. The fire alarm apparatus embodying the present invention contemplates the provision of operating mechanism by which three independent circuits are controlled, towit, the main alarm circuit; the local alarm circuit, and the disarrangement circuit. These circuits are preferably controlled in the manner and by the construction illustrated and described in my Patent No. 1,261,745) of April 2. 1918, to which reference is made for disclosure and description of the circuit operating mechanism in detail. The greater part of this circuit operating means is onclosed within the casing 13 shown in Fig. 6. Through two holes in the bottom of this casing extend the wires 19 which are connected with the various circuits controlled by the apparatus. 011 a rotatable shaft 20 projecting from the top of the casing is a lever 21,

ers are pressed down as shown in}? 1g. 5

a movement of which under certain condi tions operates only the local alarm circuit; and a movement of which under other con ditions operates both the local alarm circuit and the main alarm circuit. Also projecting from the top of the casing 13 are two plungers 22 and 23 connected respectively:

with the disarrangement signal circuit and the main alarm circuit. iVhen both plung both the circuits they control are held inoperable. When, however, the piungers are permitted to rise under certain conditions of operation of the fire alarm apparatuathe disarrangement signal circuit is thereby V thrown intooperation and the main circuit is rendered operable. The plunger 2 is pressed down to hold the disarrangemcnt "signal circult inoperable when the door 12 is shut against the cover 11, and a glass panel 26, by which the lever 27 is held in normal N position, which is the position'shown in Fig. 1, is in place. The plunger 28 is pressed down to hold the main alarm circuit iuoperable when the glass panel is in place.

s. clear understanding o1 the connections I between the operating lever 21, plungers 22,

'23, and the three separate circuits, namely, the main alarm, local alarm. and disarrangein'ent circuits, may behad by reference.

to the above mentioned patent, bearing in mind'that the plungers 22, 23 are constructed 1 similar toand operate in the same manner as theplungers 89, or said patent shown in detail'in Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12thereoi. The operating lever 21 corresponds to the v circuit and main alarm circuit operating leans has two handles 29 and 30. The handle 29'is located on the free end of the lever 21 and extends beyond the edge 25 of a glass holding plate '31 mounted on the'cas- V ing 13, so that when the door 12 is open,

the handle 29 may be reached to manipulate the lever 21 to sound the local alarm only. W' hen the door is shut against the casing 11 the handle 29 cannot be reached. The handle 30 is located at the middle of the lever 21 and is normally rendered inaccessible by the glass panel 26, which is held in place on the glass holding plate 31 by lugs 32. In acase of fire the glass panel 26 is broken so as to render the main alarm circuit operable .a movement of the'lever 21 by the handle 'tion or the above mentioned patent it .will

permitted to rise. the disarran ement circuit is o aerated, and.

30. then throws the main alarm circuit into' 22 and 23.

peration to notify the fire department. "I he glass panel holds the main alarm circuit normally inoperable by its engagement with a pin fixcd inth e short arm of the lever 27; A spring presses the pin-33 against the adjacent edge ofthe glass panel. Vi this disposition ot the parts andwith the door 1;2 shut, a two partplunger-holding.

lugi-BSQcarried by the lever 27, is positioned 'ransversely oi the plunger-s 22 and and holds them down as shown in F g. rihen the glass panel is not in place, aswhen'it is broken, thespring 34 acts to turn the lever so as to bring the two part lug 35leng'thwise of and half way between the plunger-s intooperation and rendering the main alarm. circuit operable. The hammer to isprovided to facilitate the breaking otthe glass fanel in case of fire.

p I It is necessary thatthe disarranc ement signal circuit beoperated when the door 12 is open to jpermit amanipulation of the leiter 21 to soundtheloca'l alarm when a These being spring pressed, thereupon riseinto contact with the-under- ,side36 oi the hub 37 or the lever27, thereby throwing the disarrangement signal circuit. 7

h1g3?) is accordinglymade in two partake,

one pa t'38 (Fig. 1-) of which :is fixed on the" lever 27 and engages with the plun 'er 23,

and'a second part 39 ofwhieh is movable and engages with the plunger 22.. Thelever threaded sleeve gtl screwedinto boss 42 on the underside of thefpl-ate 31-. V The movable fined to a rod slidinglyreceived eeve 4-1. A cap 4:1

against 99 the plunger turning'by a pm which slides in 'a hole in the hub of the lever 27.

is open the plunger 22, is free to push the lug: upwards, thereby operating thedisarrangement signal circuit.

From the foregoing description it will now he understood that when .the door is shut and the glass panel is in place, the le-f vex 21 being inaccessible and the 'plungers is thereby held ino icrative' lVhen,.h0w-

ever, the door'is open, the disarrangement al circuit is thereby thrown into operation and the local" alarm circuit, is made op erable by exposing the handle 29 of the lever 21. And when the glass panel is not in place, thedisarrangement signal circuit is thrown into (21337351 51011 and both the local alarm circuitand the main alarm circuit '27 is rotatably' held onithe plate 31 by a is screwed onto the o p r, end of the rod 4:3 andis arranged; to be engaget by the underside of the door12 so as to thereby hold the lug 39 down The lug 39' is held from" Wheni the door 7 being; held down 5 the circuit operating means are rendered operable; the latter condition" 7 obtaining. whether "the door is shut or open.

Theoutletbox 10, as before stated, is set in a recess 14 sunk in the wall 15 of the 'appears from Fig. 5.

room in which the fire. alarm apparatus is placed. This outlet box is closed at its rear end and is open at its front end, as clearly Conduit pipes for receiving the circuit wires are screwed into the side walls of the outlet box. the inner periphery of the outlet box are four adjustable supports 48. These supports e8 are provided with elongated slots {t9 so that they may be moved lengthwise of the outlet box, and are fastened to the outlet box in adjusted position by cap screws 50. On the upper or front end of each support e8 are two lugs 52 for supporting the cover 11. Each lug -52 is provided with a pin adapted to be received in holes 54;

in the cover. 1118 cover is held in place by screws which pass through holes 111 the cover and are screwed into the outlet box. Projecting inwardly from the upper end of each support 48 is a casing-supporting lug or shelf 56 upon which the casing 13 rests and to which it is secured.

When the apparatus is installed, the outlet box is set in a recess sunk in the wall of the room in which the apparatus is to be placed. The supports 48 are then loosely attached to the outlet box and extend outwardly therefrom so that the pins on the lugs 52 thereof may be received in the holes 5% in the cover 11. The cover is then pushed toward the wall until the rim 16 thereof contacts with the wall. The screws are then tightened to hold the supports in place. The cover is then takenoif, and the casing 18 is next secured to the inwardly projecting shelves on the supports; and then finally the cover is again placed so that the pins 53 of the lugs 52 are received in the holes 54 of the casing, after which the cover is secured in place by screws 55. The wires 19 are, of course, at tached to their proper terminals before the casing 13 is secured to the shelves 56. The

apparatus is now in condition for operathe requisite distance by the door, when the latter is shut, to hold the plunger 22 at the limit of its downward movement to hold the disarrangement ignal circuit inoperative.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

i. A fire alarm apparatus having a main alarm circuit, a local alarm circuit, and

Secured tomeans for controlling the operation of said circuits including an outlet box provided with a door, a stationary glass panel mounted within the box independently of the door, means for operating the local alarm circuit, and means operatively connected with the stationary glass panel for normally rendering the main alarm circuit inoperative when the local alarm is operated and for permitting operation of the main alarm circuit with the local alarm circuit when the stationary glass panelis broken.

2. A fire alarm apparatus having a main alarm circuit, a local alarm circuit, and means for controlling the operation of said circuits including an outlet box provided with a door, a stationary glass panel mount-- ed within the box independently of the door, a lever for operating the main and local alarm circuits disposed beneath the glass panel and arranged to project beyond one edge thereof, and means operatively' connected with the stationary glass panel for normally rendering the main alarm circuit inoperative and for permitting operation of the same when the glass panel is broken.

A fire alarm apparatus having a main alarm circuit, a local alarm circuit, and means for controlling the operation of said circuits including an outlet box provided vith a door, a stationary glass panel mounted within the box independently of the door, lever for operating the local and main alarm circuits, and means connected with the stationary glass panel for normally rendering the main alarm circuit inoperative when the lever is manipulated to operate the local alarm circuit.

4;. A fire alarm apparatus having a main alarm circuit, a local alarm circuit, and means for controlling the operation of said circuits including an outlet box provided with a door, a stationary glass panel mounted within the box independently f the door, and means for controlling the operation of said circuits including a lever, a spring pressed plunger, and connections between the plunger and stationary glass panel for normally rendering-the main alarm circuit inoperative and for permitting its operation by means of the lever when the glass panel is broken.

5. A fire alarm apparatus having, in com bination, a main alarm circuit, a local alarm circuit, and means for controlling the circuits comprising a box, a glass panel mounted upon the box, a lever for controlling the circuits, and means including a member pressing against the edge of the glass panel for normally rendering the main alarm circuit inoperative upon the actuation of the lever and for permitting operation of the main alarm circuit by means of the lever when the glass panel is broken.

VERNON DURBIN. 

